Episode 2

The Hidden Truth About What Makes You Stand Out

Published on: 25th February, 2025

The Hidden Truth About Your Business Brilliance

Ever feel like you’re just another coach, course creator, or service provider lost in a sea of sameness? That nagging voice whispering, “What makes me different?”—yeah, it’s a lie.

In this episode, we’re tackling the biggest myth keeping entrepreneurs stuck: the idea that you have to find your uniqueness. The reality? It’s already there—you’re just too close to see it.

We dive into:

✔️ Why overthinking your uniqueness is actually a form of avoidance

✔️ How to recognize the brilliance you’ve been overlooking

✔️ The sneaky ways comparison keeps you chasing what you already have

✔️ A simple exercise to uncover your unique magic (yes, today!)

If you’ve ever doubted your special sauce or found yourself scrolling other people’s successes instead of owning your own, this one’s for you.

📌 Your Next Steps:

🎵 CREDITS

Music: ColourfulSounds

Podcast Editor: Maia McLachlan

Transcript
Tracie:

Hello, everyone.

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Tracie here, your resident business,

rebel, and your listening to

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Digital Business Your Way podcast.

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The show that lets true stories

and insider secrets of online

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entrepreneur life unfold.

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Our business world is growing and as

an online business coach and digital

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product creator, I believe you didn't

become an entrepreneur to grin and

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bear your way through business.

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So I'll be your guide.

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As we drop in on coaching

calls, have intimate sit downs

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with online personalities.

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You love.

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And discuss ideas, opportunities and

strategies circulating our online world.

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So pop in your earbuds, tap,

follow, and join me as I demystify.

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This thing called business.

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Hello, everyone.

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Tracie here, your resident business rebel.

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And we'll welcome back to

digital business your way.

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Today, we're going to tackle something

that comes up for almost every

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entrepreneur, at least at some point,

if not on the regular overthinking,

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what makes your business, your work,

your offers, your pricing, your sales

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approach, your anything special.

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Yeah.

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Cause I hear this on

coaching calls all the time.

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I don't know how to stand out.

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I don't think what I do is that unique.

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I'm just another coach, just

another course creator, just

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another service provider doing

what everyone else is doing.

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How am I going to be this different

whenever I make this, Oh, did

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you see this person make that?

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Oh, did you see what they

said about this or that?

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And if that sounds familiar, I'm

actually going to call BS on it today.

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You're likely not seeing what makes you

different because you're too close to

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it and the kicker, the way to finally

see it might not be what you expect.

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So why does this happen?

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Why do we struggle to

pinpoint what makes us unique?

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Even when we're doing great work.

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And one big reason is that we're, you

know, we're inside our own businesses.

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We normalize what we do because

it's just how we think and operate.

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And we don't even realize that

what we do is different because

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we don't see anybody else, right?

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We don't have somebody in

the office next door to us.

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We don't have somebody to compare

things to on a regular basis.

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We just do things how we're doing them.

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And so we don't realize how different,

how unique, how, whatever it is.

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Yeah.

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But here's the hard truth.

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When you're overthinking what

makes your business special, you're

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actually avoiding making a clear

decision about what you stand for.

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It's a distraction.

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That uncertainty is actually

keeping you stuck in a loop.

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Okay.

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Because the more you wait for

something flashy to prove your

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value, the more you are losing

trust in what's already working.

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You're chasing after something and

losing sight of what already is, right?

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Because you might have a process that's

completely game changing to somebody else.

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But because it's obvious to

you, it doesn't feel special.

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And as you're running after the, the

invisible, the elusive, the, the shiny

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thing that you see off in the distance

that you think is there, that you

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think is the answer, you're actually

losing sight of what already is.

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And that's a distraction, right?

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Instead of digging deep.

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Into what is and into what you stand

for and realizing that what you're

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already doing, how that connects to your

values, how that connects to your you.

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Okay.

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What's another reason?

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Well, we're often waiting for that

something flashy to validate our work.

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We're looking at.

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And if we're not doing that, we assume

we're just another business in the crowd.

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That's that comparison stuff.

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Yeah.

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When the only thing we need

to compare ourselves to is

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who we were yesterday, right?

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Who we were an hour ago, who we

were in, in action versus action.

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Yeah.

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And if you're ready, I'm going to give

you a true confession shocker because in,

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in, in honesty and truth and all of the

things I go through this all the time.

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Gasp.

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What?

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Yes, really, really.

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Right.

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Is this something that I

talked to my coach about?

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Surprise what we often coach other

people on pretty effortlessly.

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Right.

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We can, we can easily just like spout

off answers and help somebody through it.

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These are often the areas that

we need the most help with too.

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Well, it's like, oh, it's time

for a self-coaching day, isn't it?

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But seriously there, there's

never any shame in that.

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You know, that, that's why we have

these, these hard conversations.

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That's why we dig deep into the,

into the patterns that we notice

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into the things that are going on.

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Right?

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Because that's actually just an

illustration of that issue I was just

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talking about, about being too close to

it, that we don't even know that it's

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happening until it's pointed out to us.

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Yeah.

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If you're into human design.

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Something that I had been told by the,

the, the HD experts in my life is that

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I have an undefined G center and that

means that my sense of self is more

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fluid, I'm more open to how others see me

than I am to my own knowing of who I am.

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And I found that when I try to

define my own brilliance, like in a

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vacuum, well, I struggle to see it.

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And I tend to make, you know,

offhand comments or self

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deprecating jokes and like make

little nuances and little laughs.

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Right.

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Because that is, that

unnatural state, right?

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So there, there's kind of

that piece at, at play here.

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Whenever you're trying to see this,

this uniqueness, this special teeness

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of one's self versus one's business.

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Yeah.

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And whenever you're an entrepreneurship,

you know, that those things are so

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tied together that it's hard to see.

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The ending, the beginning, you know,

the, the entanglement of it all.

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Right?

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So we sit here and we start with,

Oh, what makes my offer unique?

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What makes my business unique?

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And you end up talking about

characteristics of yourself

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and you're like, wait, hang on.

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I am supposed to be talking about

this one thing, not this other thing.

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And it's like, wait, wait, hang on.

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What's going on here?

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Right?

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Because we're so intertwined.

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With these two pieces,

especially whenever we are

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the, the face of our business.

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Yeah.

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So having these kinds of things where

it's not a natural state for us to see

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who we are whenever you, you know, didn't

have a lot of opportunities to shine.

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Growing up, or when an opportunity came

up and it wasn't safe to do it, or when

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you were cut down, you know, bullied,

laughed at, made fun of, or when you had

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it, when they were taken away, right?

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Those are all very valid reasons

for why it no longer feels natural

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to allow yourself to feel special

and that can bleed into this search

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for your business to feel special.

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Special and to have the realization that

it already is because you made it that

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inherent value, but we can do the work.

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Of acknowledging and working through

it, of knowing that it was there,

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knowing that that was the situation, but

not allowing it to keep a hold on us.

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Yeah.

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What we need to realize and work

through is that what if your uniqueness,

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isn't something you figure out, right?

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It's not the thing that you are chasing

that leaves you running further away

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from what you've already created, right?

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That keeps you stuck in that loop.

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But what if it's something

that you actually remember?

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What if it's already obvious to

your perfect clients, and all

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you have to do is listen to them,

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right?

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What if how you have built the things

that you have and how you care for

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the people that you interact with

is already so perfect, so brilliant.

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For the people that need it, that you

just have to have your eyes open to it.

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You know, I, and, and

that's what happened to me.

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Like that sparked the idea for this

episode, someone reflected it back to me.

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I got a voice note the other and

she told me how powerful it was to

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hear me talk about launching in a

way that actually fits you instead

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of trying to force yourself into

this rigid traditional strategies.

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She said it was exactly

what she needed to hear.

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And in that moment, like, as I was

listening to her and she was sharing

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her story and she was telling me what

it meant for her to hear me speak.

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And I wasn't, I wasn't giving a pitch.

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I was just kind of plainly

talking about what it was.

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Right.

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And I was saying I kind of need some

ideas and some help with this is

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where I'm at and this is what I'm

thinking and what all of you think.

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Right.

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I was having that kind of conversation

with a group of peers and she said, this

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is exactly what I needed to hear, that it

was sexy, that it was amazing, that it was

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that permission that she was after, that

she absolutely loves what I'd created.

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Right.

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And in that moment, I could feel

it, that hell yeah, let's go,

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that fire, that passion ignited.

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Right?

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Because the truth is, when I hear other

people talk about what I create, when

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they tell me what stood out to them, it's,

it's like my whole energy erupts, right?

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I go from wondering, is this

really that good to, oh yeah,

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this is exactly what people need

and I need to talk about it more.

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And I know I'm not the only one

who experiences this because that's

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why I hear people ask me about it

all the time on coaching calls.

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Yeah.

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know, and, and I see so many business

owners doubting what makes them stand

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out and trying so many things and,

and, you know, popping from one idea

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to the next, to the next it chasing

after this elusive uniqueness.

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When in reality.

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They just need a new way of seeing

it and, and playing with this

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harmony of the business special

versus when your own insecurities

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are kind of dipping back in there.

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Right?

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Like we were just talking about.

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So how do you start recognizing your

own brilliance and your business

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brilliance if it doesn't feel obvious?

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So pause with me for a second.

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Think about the last

time someone thanked you.

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They messaged you.

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And they lit up after a

conversation with you.

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Any kind.

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Personal life, relationship, business.

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All the above, right?

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What did they say?

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Hmm?

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that's your answer.

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That's your brilliance.

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That's what you bring into everything.

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That's the values that become the

foundational baseline of your business,

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of your offers, of your selling style,

of your launch styles, of how you

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love to create communities, right?

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It's already there.

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Sit with it, feel it, make note of it.

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Yeah.

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And because you know, I

love my micro actions.

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I'm going to give you three others

that you can take into your daily life.

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The first one being a

continuation of that pause, right?

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How that you can pay attention to what

other people are reflecting back to you.

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What are they always asking you about?

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What do they thank you for?

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What feels obvious to you, but

blows people's minds, even little

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things like, how did you know that?

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Or, Oh my gosh, that makes so much sense.

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Like all those little things that people

say that you just kind of giggle at.

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Right.

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What is it?

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And it's not just the, well, yeah,

I knew that, but it's also, how

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did you handle the situation?

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What was the interaction like for them?

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How did you make them feel?

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How did you feel when you did it?

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It's a whole 360, right?

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It's a whole ecosystem there.

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Okay.

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And we have to stop waiting

for something to feel flashy.

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Okay.

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Because standing out, it's not about

being the loudest and it's not about

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being the supposed most unique, right?

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It's about owning what you do in a

way that feels deeply true to you.

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Like in your own damn skin,

like, like where you are fully

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embodied, you are walking in it.

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And again, that's back to that harmony

between yourself and your business,

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where whenever you look at what you're

building, you see yourself reflected

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in it and in the parts that you don't,

we audit, we audit and we edit it out.

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Yeah, that's how you stand out.

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Some of the most impactful

businesses, they're not built

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on being supposedly different.

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They're built on just being aligned

with the owners and the values.

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And the third micro action,

talk about your work.

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And with that energy of hell,

yeah, this is what I do.

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Right.

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Cause the fastest way to get

people excited about your offer

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is It's to get excited yourself,

you know, there's a reason these

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are like tried and true advice.

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Talk about it out loud to your pets, your

plants, the mirror on your wall, anything.

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Just say it out loud and notice

how does your voice change, right?

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Like what is your inflection like?

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Do you get kind of shaky?

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Does your breath speed up?

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Is your heart racing?

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Is your palms like all like,

ah, and sweaty and shaky.

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Right.

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Are you like getting physically

excited and in that moment, that's

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when you write your messaging.

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That's when you make your replies.

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That's when you edit

your sales page, right?

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That's when you get ready for

those launch events, okay?

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That is that, that like I am, I

am so in this, I am so excited.

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I'm all in, I'm ready for this.

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I feel this.

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These people are like, they need

to hear what I'm saying, right?

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Hit record and capture it.

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That is that unedited raw

experience that people need.

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And when you struggle with those

feelings, when you struggle tapping

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into that, borrow that energy from

the people who do see your brilliance.

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Yeah.

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Like I did when I got the message.

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And she had this one line where she said,

people want to figure out their own way

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of launching, and that's super sexy.

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How you coach them.

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Oh my gosh, play that

whole thing on repeat.

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It fires me up.

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It like, I, I have starred that message.

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I just want to play it

over and over again.

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Every time that I go to think about,

all right, what is going to happen?

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How are we going to do this?

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You know, what's, what's,

what are people after?

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What's some inspiration.

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And instead of going from scratch, instead

of going into doubting, instead of going

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with, oh, I don't know what's going to

be attractive, what's going to be this,

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what's going to be that it's like, uh,

The entire concept, the entire permission

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slip, the entire idea, that whole

perspective shift, whole thing is right.

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Like you already are.

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The reality is that you don't have to

reinvent everything to be valuable.

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Owning what makes you different.

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It's not about chasing the flash.

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It's about standing firm in

what's already true for you.

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Cause stability, not novelty

is what creates magnetism.

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The way you think,

teach, support, connect.

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It's already different because

you are as a human, right?

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business human harmony.

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You have to just stop looking for a

neon sign to tell you it's special.

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You have to stop with that

distraction and stand firm.

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And what you believe in and how, what

you've already created reflects it, right?

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So here's my challenge to you.

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Start paying attention to what

people reflect back to you.

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Write it down.

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Keep a list.

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Stop assuming that because

something feels obvious to you, it

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must be obvious to everyone else.

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Yeah.

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You've heard that one before.

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Remember your business isn't

here to fit into a mold.

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It's here to shift perspectives

to offer something only you can.

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So the real question

isn't how am I different?

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It's how am I already showing up

as a voice for something bigger?

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And the next time you find yourself

overthinking what makes your

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business special, just borrow

someone else's perspective until

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you can see it for yourself.

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Okay.

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If today's episode hit home, send

me a message and tell me one thing

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you now see differently about

your own business and that lovely

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interconnection between you as a human

and the business that you've built.

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I'd love to hear it

until the next episode.

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Be well and have some fun.

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Thank you for joining me here

on Digital Business Your Way.

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Be sure to check out the show notes

for all the links mentioned today.

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And while you're there, I'd love

for you to rate and review the show.

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And if you have a topic or question you

want me to answer, I want to hear it.

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Head to Tracie Patterson dot com slash

AMA and ask me anything about business.

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If I don't know it, I'm bringing

up with one of my guests.

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And until next week, be

well and have some fun.

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About the Podcast

Digital Business Your Way
The true stories and insider secrets of online entrepreneur life
You didn’t become an entrepreneur to grin and bear your way through your business and life, did you?
Well, allow me to demystify business and join me weekly on Digital Business Your Way, a podcast about the true stories and insider secrets of online entrepreneur life. I'm your host, Tracie Patterson, and it's my mission to pull back the curtain on building a sustainable business so you can create the impact in life you’re seeking.

About your host

Profile picture for Tracie Patterson

Tracie Patterson

NICE TO MEET YOU
I'm Tracie
Your resident Sales and Offer Coach who proudly accepts the title Business Rebel.

You didn't take the leap into your own business to be bullied into using gross tactics or to be talked down to and confused to the point of daily overwhelm and frustration.

I'm here to demystify business, guide you through the creation of Your Own Style, and pull back the curtain on building a sustainable business you can be proud of and grow with.